Please construct each paragraph so that the reader can understand what you focused your observations on without having seen the original questions. - fogleman
Observations:
Observations
The first four classes I observed were two sections of 9th grade physical science. The first sections were titled "college prep" level, meaning that this was getting 9th graders ready to move on to college level classes with ugh being in the honors sections. The second two classes were part of "team science" where these 9th graders are selected for a team setting. They have the same group of students in all of their classes in order to create social skills and study habits with peers they are familiar with. These students are not less capable than the other class, they are put into a team to help them adjust to high school better.
When the first period of college prep (CP) came in, they were greeted by my cooperating teacher with instructions to get their worksheet from the bin or to take it out if they had to finish it for homework. This was a routine for this class, since all the students knew where the bin was located and were able to find their work. About two or three minutes after the bell rang my cooperating teacher went around the room checking that the homework was completed while talking to the students about the rainbow from the previous day. Students were allowed to talk to each other, as long as they were in their assigned bench tops, about the rainbow and what they saw or didn't see. Any students that came in late already knew to sit in their seats and wait for the teacher to be done checking the rest of the room before they went to her desk to get theirs marked off. This method not only counted as a way to mark off homework, but also the attendance for the day. On the board was the date and the words "map groups" which stood for a mapping project that they were working on with the computers from the day before. After homework was checked students were instructed to finish their drawn maps and writte directions using google maps. They were allowed to talk as long as the room stayed at a reasonable volume, and were also allowed to walk around the room to check other commuters and other groups work. They each handed in this project at the end of the period, and the teacher made it clear that this would be homework if they did not finish by the end of class. This last "threat" was definitely enough to help motivate the students to finish their work seeing as both classes were productive the entire class period.
It was very easy for me to see the difference in the CP classes and the team classes based on the beginning of class alone. My cooperating teacher had to stand by the door and mark each student off as they entered the room in order to collect attendance. There was a special education teacher in the first class who definitely helped control the classroom, but I could see the struggle in not having one. There was three extremely disruptive boys in the back of the room that seemed to only get yelled at by the special education teacher. The second class didn't have an aid, and was much smaller. This class, however, had many more IEP and emotionally disturbed students in it, including a student with "sociopathic tendencies" who had to have a meeting with my cooperating teacher and the principle due to a violent story he wrote about the teacher the week before. This definitely impacted the way the classes were run. The first class was given strict instructions as to how to finish their work, and they were not allowed to walk around the class or talk about many things besides school work. It was very frustrating to want to push these students to finish their work and reach their potential, while worrying about if the emotionally disturbed students would begin to come after me next. After the class finished their worksheets they were allowed to hand it in, and if they didn't finish they were instructed to work on it over the weekend and finish it before the next class. This was told to the students at the beginning of class in order to help motivate them, although it didn't work for many of the students.
Reflections:
These two sections of science were extremely different as far as the beginning of class was concerned. The CP class was given many more freedoms, both in classwork and in socializing, than seen in the team classes. The students were able to handle the freedom a lot more than in the team classes. I am very interested to see how the students with IEP and emotional disturbances will react to me being in the classroom.
From what I have seen so far, the CP students may not all be at the same social level, but they are all able to adapt and enjoy the freedom given to them. The team students have reacted badly to freedom, and need to be given structure and slowly add freedoms back to the classroom. I am looking forward ton see how the different levels in maturity possibly influence other aspects of classroom management.
Observations:
ObservationsThe first four classes I observed were two sections of 9th grade physical science. The first sections were titled "college prep" level, meaning that this was getting 9th graders ready to move on to college level classes with ugh being in the honors sections. The second two classes were part of "team science" where these 9th graders are selected for a team setting. They have the same group of students in all of their classes in order to create social skills and study habits with peers they are familiar with. These students are not less capable than the other class, they are put into a team to help them adjust to high school better.
When the first period of college prep (CP) came in, they were greeted by my cooperating teacher with instructions to get their worksheet from the bin or to take it out if they had to finish it for homework. This was a routine for this class, since all the students knew where the bin was located and were able to find their work. About two or three minutes after the bell rang my cooperating teacher went around the room checking that the homework was completed while talking to the students about the rainbow from the previous day. Students were allowed to talk to each other, as long as they were in their assigned bench tops, about the rainbow and what they saw or didn't see. Any students that came in late already knew to sit in their seats and wait for the teacher to be done checking the rest of the room before they went to her desk to get theirs marked off. This method not only counted as a way to mark off homework, but also the attendance for the day. On the board was the date and the words "map groups" which stood for a mapping project that they were working on with the computers from the day before. After homework was checked students were instructed to finish their drawn maps and writte directions using google maps. They were allowed to talk as long as the room stayed at a reasonable volume, and were also allowed to walk around the room to check other commuters and other groups work. They each handed in this project at the end of the period, and the teacher made it clear that this would be homework if they did not finish by the end of class. This last "threat" was definitely enough to help motivate the students to finish their work seeing as both classes were productive the entire class period.
It was very easy for me to see the difference in the CP classes and the team classes based on the beginning of class alone. My cooperating teacher had to stand by the door and mark each student off as they entered the room in order to collect attendance. There was a special education teacher in the first class who definitely helped control the classroom, but I could see the struggle in not having one. There was three extremely disruptive boys in the back of the room that seemed to only get yelled at by the special education teacher. The second class didn't have an aid, and was much smaller. This class, however, had many more IEP and emotionally disturbed students in it, including a student with "sociopathic tendencies" who had to have a meeting with my cooperating teacher and the principle due to a violent story he wrote about the teacher the week before. This definitely impacted the way the classes were run. The first class was given strict instructions as to how to finish their work, and they were not allowed to walk around the class or talk about many things besides school work. It was very frustrating to want to push these students to finish their work and reach their potential, while worrying about if the emotionally disturbed students would begin to come after me next. After the class finished their worksheets they were allowed to hand it in, and if they didn't finish they were instructed to work on it over the weekend and finish it before the next class. This was told to the students at the beginning of class in order to help motivate them, although it didn't work for many of the students.
Reflections:
These two sections of science were extremely different as far as the beginning of class was concerned. The CP class was given many more freedoms, both in classwork and in socializing, than seen in the team classes. The students were able to handle the freedom a lot more than in the team classes. I am very interested to see how the students with IEP and emotional disturbances will react to me being in the classroom.From what I have seen so far, the CP students may not all be at the same social level, but they are all able to adapt and enjoy the freedom given to them. The team students have reacted badly to freedom, and need to be given structure and slowly add freedoms back to the classroom. I am looking forward ton see how the different levels in maturity possibly influence other aspects of classroom management.
Class Topic:
Grade:
Observed by: